The Iditarod from behind the Team

These photos were taken off of the "Aliy Cam" during the Iditarod. They are freeze frame photos from the video camera that Aliy carries on the race.

Climbing toward Rainy Pass. This photo is taken towards the top of the climb through the Alaska Range Mountains. The trail travels through willow bushes along the edges of Pass Creek drainage before ascending to the open wind swept summit.


Mushing in the heart of Alaska. This photo is taken about halfway through the race. The trail runs over rolling hills and across immense valleys before the old historic town of Iditarod. On this part of the race course there are no villages and very little traffic on the trail. A musher and their team are alone here.


Nap time on the Yukon River. This photo is taken about 15 miles south of the Kaltag Checkpoint. The team is taking a short nap in the center of the frozen Yukon River - which will allow them to pass through the village. This was part of an overall race strategy of napping in the sunshine and avoiding busy checkpoints.


Traveling in the Blueberry Hills. This photo is taken about 20 miles north of the coastal village of Unalakleet. The trail does not travel on the frozen ocean in this area because the ocean ice shifts constantly leaving dangerous open water leads. Therefore the Iditarod follows a historic trail through some very steep hills that are often blown free of all snow pack.

Mushing into the sunset. This photo is less than 20 miles from the Finish Line. The frozen ocean is on the left. The bluff on the right is Cape Nome - which is the final climb before the finish. This is often a very emotional time on the raceā€¦ especially with a sunset like this one!